


Unintentional Gap Year

by Cornerofmadness



Category: Angel: the Series
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-30
Updated: 2018-09-30
Packaged: 2019-07-20 23:14:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,846
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16147571
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cornerofmadness/pseuds/Cornerofmadness
Summary: He wishes he were back in school.





	Unintentional Gap Year

**Author's Note:**

> **Disclaimer** \-- I don’t own them, Mr. Whedon does.
> 
> **Warning** \-- Other than a few swear words, none.
> 
> **Author’s Note** \-- Set in the first few months after LA is sucked into hell, so comic book canon is in play here. This came to me last night on a road trip and was not at all what I imagined writing for the prompt. Written for the monthly prompt challenge “academia” for SunnydaleScribe on Livejournal.

XXX

I should be in class right now, suffering through some poly sci lecture while regretting my choice of majors. Of course, now I know it wasn't exactly my decision, not that any of that matters. If I were lucky, I'd be in the forensic science class that I took on a whim. Well, a whim and Elena Garcia who had captured my attention at a party. She hadn't realized it until several parties later.

But me being me, Elena couldn’t have noticed me right away. No, it wasn’t until after the embarrassing encounter with Stacy and Tracy; naturally because I couldn't possibly have managed to talk to the cute smart girl without being utterly humiliated first: that's my life. Knowing what I know now, the Stacy-Tracy identical twin encounter – while drunk off my Irish ass - takes on an ominous tone. God knows if condoms were used, or hell, if sex actually happened. I was that black out drunk - Delta house parties were something else. I didn't know the twins liked to tag team guys, usually looking for freshmen like me. Use him and lose him turned out to be their attitude. Why does this crap keep happening to me?

It didn’t matter now. I couldn’t be further from class if I tried. My fault entirely. I could have kept running when everything went to hell, figuratively at first, then literally. I traded classes, studying like mad, thinking about Elena's gorgeous dark hair, parties with endless kegs and playing D&D on the weekends while smoking pot with my friends for this. 

I took a deep breath in, trying to ignore the stench, filtering it for my target. They were close now. Who knew I could ever miss economics 101? I spent half the class contemplating tossing myself out the window while Professor Honeyman droned on and on. Now I know that wouldn't have killed me because I am a freak show. Now that I think about it, Honeyman could have been a demon putting us to sleep to suck out our life energy because I'm pretty sure he did that to me. Hope he's here in hell with me. Okay, no I really don't but it's a close call. 

I'm almost on top of the target now, a little patch of humans holed up in what had been a Wal-Mart. Good to know. I could "borrow" a truck and sock in some supplies. We’re going to need it. Who knows what will happen when all the frozen and canned goods are gone. I'm perfectly fine with demon steaks but I'm pretty sure most of humanity won't be. Though, I am left wondering how the cafeteria food back at the university could taste worse than demon. It just did; thank god for Raman noodles. They saved my life that first semester.

I'm about ready to go through the doors when I hear it.

"Knew he'd come," someone with a voice like a chainsaw crows.

"Get Angel's spawn!" another growled.

Spawn? Really? Should have known this was Dad's fault. Well, not me being in hell. That's on me for doubling back. Angel tried to keep me safe. Of course he's been in hell pissing off everyone. I wonder if he realizes he's painting a target on my head. Yeah, I'm sure he does.

So why doesn't he come visit me?

I don't have time to worry about it. They come at me, these creatures from a nightmare, full of claw and fang and in this case oozy gelatinous skin with a stench that would put a slukh off its water. One is so blatant in his attack, I don't even have to try hard to send his head flying. The body shook like Mom's Fourth of July Jell-O molds before dissolving. 

Well, Colleen Reilly's Jell-O. Got to remember she's not my real mom. I'm pretty sure my real mom never made Jell-O in her life. It was so _damn_ hard to sort out the real from the spell memories but it was hard to hate Angel for what he'd done to me. I knew he had been trying to help. After all, I only had the best education to be found in the 1700s before he set Wolfram and Hart to tinkering with my brain. If not for the spell, I would never have been pre-law contemplating switching to forensic science.

As I leapt over a sword strike and returned with one of my own, I could hear Dad yelling at me about how could I think about switching majors. Didn't I know how little forensic scientists made? Turns out, the pay is startlingly low. I suspect both of my dads would agree on that point. Dad number three is too dead to have an opinion on what I should be when I grow up.

I think I have that answer anyhow: crusader for good, a hope in hell. Of course, I was shedding Connor Reilly like a snake with too-tight skin. That boy didn't know how to survive here. Even though I answered to and called myself Connor, I was becoming Stephen Holtz again a little bit more each day. Stephen knew how to survive in hell. Stephen had moves, had the cunning to be the worst thing in the worst hell. I needed to be Stephen.

I just hope I remain saner than him. At least I haven't started taking trophies again but the urge is there. Pretty much I don't because it would upset the humans I'm saving.

"Late to the party," Gwen called, waving from the front of the store. Nina was with her. 

I smile broadly. Dad might never visit me but if he did, he might be happy I have a girlfriend, one I have no hope of fathering another hell goddess with since Gwen and I can't exactly touch without me getting fried. That truly sucks. 

"Vampires," Nina growled, looking as insane as I sometimes felt. The sun and the moon being out simultaneous made her and the other werewolves nuts. She licked me the first time we met. Just what I needed; licked by another of Dad's girlfriends.

"Looks like the humans inside are being held as blood slaves," Gwen added.

I scowled, wishing I could be shocked. "Spike coming to this shindig?"

"Ask and you shall receive." Spike sauntered down the street with Spider and a few other of the women who fought by his side. Illyria isn't with him, must be having an unstable day. I know what that feels like.

I hadn't liked teaming up with the vampire at first but I remembered him from that time I was at Wolfram and Hart after a van lost an encounter when it tried to run me down. If I'm perfectly honest that's when my college days ended. I just kept up the pretense for a little longer. God, I miss it though. I want to be in the library cramming for mid-terms, having hurried sex with Elena before one of the roommates returned and ruined things, getting high while rolling a critical fail and having my friends laugh at me. I tried not to think about school or that day I met first met Spike because if I remember that, then I also remember having the hots for Illyria. Now that I understand she’s what's left of Fred, I feel pretty shitty about it.

Geez, Cordy, Fred, Elena, Gwen, I go for brunettes the way Dad goes for Blondes. Though, Spike insists Angel is dating the dragon. I don't buy it but Spike's jokes and stories about Dad are half the reason I hang out with him. It helps put Angel into context for me. Neither of us knows why Angel hasn't come to see me. Neither does Lorne, as much as I hated asking him. Lorne and I were never exactly fans of each other, still aren't, but he's man enough to admit me trying to shield as many humans as I can rescue is a good thing. I think Spike misses Angel almost as much as I do, not that either of us would admit it. Hell, we’d probably rather have our tongues bitten out than to say that.

For a while none of us had word one about Angel but I knew he wasn't dead. I could _feel_ it, just as I had known him the moment I saw him. Maybe the reason he hasn't spoken to me is that while he loves me - and I don't doubt he does - he just doesn't like me much. What does it matter? I should just stop obsessing over it. Maybe I should just hike my ass to Wolfram and Hart where he's holed up and demand to see him.

I'm too busy for that crap.

"Let's do this," I said. Spike grinned maniacally. Frankly Nina looked a little too enthusiastic for my comfort. Gwen seemed more sad than eager but I know that's because it's just a reminder of what her touch will do to you. She says there's a way around it; we just have to find it. Here's hoping. Would be nice to be able to kiss my girlfriend without dying.

We swept in like a tsunami. Those vampires don't stand a chance, and I can't feel the littlest bit bad about that. The only thing that would have made it more epic would have been to swoop in on that Pegasus Groo has. Got to admit, I'm a wee bit jealous of that.

When the dust literally settles, I step out ahead of my friends and address all the humans we had just freed. The adrenaline-induced fear sweat of them assaults my nose making me wish to be a bit more human myself. I fight to ignore it. They're eyeing me in terror, figuring I'm just another demon lord for all that I don't look it. That's the one thing I try to insist Spike do, not use game face. Let them think we're human like them.

"Don't be afraid," I call out to them where they’re huddled in the remains of the stores aisles. "I'm Connor and this is my family." I sweep a hand to my friends. "We're here to rescue you. We have a safer place to live if you want to come with us. All I ask is let's grab as much food and bedding as we can from here."

No one moves at first but slowly at least some of them start to follow us. It would be a long hike back home. Spike will stay with me until we get them there before going back to his own little fiefdom. 

I might have been a good lawyer or forensic scientist or whatever I would have been when I walked across the stage to get my diploma. I might never know now. But that's okay because I know one thing for sure. I'm one hell of a warrior, and I'm making a difference here. I fought my way out of hell once before. I can do it again.


End file.
